The Corruption
by Valadilen
Summary: When the Corruption started, Sun-King Avad and the Nora tribe's Matriarch team up and put together a special team to work against the plague. But the leaders, Ersa and Rost, fell in combat; letting Aloy and Erend the lead. But things never go well when you're fighting a war against your own friends. (One-Shot, AU)


**_Horizon Zero Dawn, Alternate Universe,_** ** _with Aloy and Erend. One-shot._**

 ** _Caution: Someone important will die._**

 ** _If you find any mistakes, let me know!_**

 ** _Take care!_**

 ** _And thanks~_**

* * *

 _How did things go so wrong?_

Aloy could only think these few words while rising up a shield. Saying that Erend is a strong man would be an understatement. But with the corruption…? It was even worst! Every attack was a critical hit: the kind that made your arms numb for a while. Soon, Aloy's shield flew in the air so she dodged the next attack. But for how long could she keep up?

The Corruption was a plague. A nano-machine that took the form of a disease. Instead of making people sick, it twisted their minds, turning friends against each other, mothers against children, husbands against wives. All the loved ones end up killings each other. And if someone with the corruption is not brutally murdered, he or she will slowly die. Indeed, the Corruption worked like the brain was a computer: it gets inside, corrupted the folders, and at a point, the system shut down because of exhaustion, cells auto-destructions and iron poisoning.

The Sun-King Avad and Nora's Matriarchs joined force to fight the disease a year ago; and put together a multi-cultural team. The leaders were Rost and Ersa. Both fell in combat, letting Aloy and Erend behind the team's wheel.

But they've been careless during a cleaning mission in a warehouse. And Erend got infected. The infected were dead, but not him.

Aloy took cover in the vents, where Erend could not follow her. She crawled a long way before finding the perfect hiding spot: underneath the desk in the director's (now dead) office. The room was looked from the inside, no windows. And the vent was too small for Erend to fit in.

It pained her to see her friend like this. Cracked skin with red light coming out of it, drooling like an enraged animal; screaming like an animal. And his eyes. His beautiful grey eyes, injected with blood. The left one was all red, the other was going nuts. And all he wanted to do now was to kill her… No. No! Erend didn't want to kill her: the Corruption wanted that, not him! Aloy had to believe that. She had to or she won't be able to think straight. If she believes in her friend innocence, then she could help him. Would that mean putting him out of his misery? There were not cure yet; but if she could bring him back to base… Aloy already lost Rost: she wasn't going to lose Erend.

Suddenly, the door got almost knock down. Erend senseless growls came from behind. How did he find her so quickly? Could the nano-machines follow her electronic signature? She looked at her gear: even the weapons were using electricity. Or perhaps Erend put a tracker on her while there were fighting?

She did not have time to look for it.

Erend destroyed the door and came in. As soon as he spotted her, he launched himself to her, screaming with insanity. Aloy rolled and stand up. She ran to the door, went straight of the infirmary. Perhaps she'll be able to find painkiller powerful enough to knock him down! In the corridor, she put electric straps. With any luck, it will slow Erend down. She was reaching the stair when the first trap chocked the man.

Aloy came down one floor and found the infirmary. She looked everywhere she could. Ah! There! The woman took the painkillers from a cupboard. But the door burst open. Erend was here! The room was small. Once again, he launched himself to her. He's fist hit her face like a train would. Aloy fell against the wall, the head hurt and spinning. Erend took her to the throat and lifted her without difficulty. Now! Aloy took the first syringe to empty it in his arm. Out of reflex, the man let her go. She took the second syringe, stabbed Erend in the thigh with it. The man started to fill numb.

"It's going to be okay." She carefully said.

Not careful enough. She gasped when a scalpel landed in her chest. Aloy fell back, tried to hold on something. Her heart was beating out of panicked. Every breaths became heavy, important. Before she fell on the grown and hit the head on the tiles, strong arm caught her. Erend was not himself, the cracks and red lights and the blood injected eyes were still there. But both his eyes were looking at her, his throat tying up until pain as he realized what he did.

He fell on his knees, Aloy in his arm; caressing her red hair with shaking hands.

"What… I… so… sorry…" He said with difficulties, crying.

"It's okay." Aloy whispered.

She knew it was the end. In less than a minute she bled so much blood. Her hand just reached Erend's. It was him. He was back. Perhaps only for a moment: until the painkillers wore out. But it was good enough for Aloy. Her friend was with her. Not as a monster, not as a corrupted… not even as a colleague. Erend was _here_ , with her, just for her. Human beings. Sensitive beings.

"One more shot and you were out." She whispered. "Forth one and… well…"

Killing Erend without him feeling pain was the last resort in her plan. A failed plan indeed; but still a plan. The corruption was painful enough. Why murdering a corrupted people with even more pain? This thinking did not saved her. But perhaps it will save Erend.

"I'm… so… sorry." Erend cried, holding Aloy so tightly in his arms she would asked for air. "Not… you… Everyone… but you… Please…"

Aloy kissed him on the cheek, almost on his lips. It was not the time for this. But at least she wouldn't regret not doing this. A last little gift.

Suddenly Aloy became heavy. Erend, still stunned from the kiss, looked at her.

She was gone.

Not a word, not a sound.

Just a kiss. And that was it.

Erend's head started to spin. What to do? What to do? _He_ killed Aloy. _He_ murdered her! Not willingly, but a murder was a murder. What else will happen if he stays alive? His eyes meet up this the syringes Aloy was holding in her hands.

Yes. That was the only solution.

But before that, he had something to do.

The Corruption worked like a demonic machine: it makes the brain worked so hard and so fast that it will eventually overheat and shut down. Giving painkillers makes the brain numb, slows it down. What neither Aloy or Erend could know was, that putting a corrupted on grubs would at the end kill the Corruption: because it's nano-machines can't find the brain's "working capacities" they need to survive.

Did Aloy knew how important her discovery was for humanity? Or was she only trying to kill Erend? When Varl secured the infirmary, there was nothing left but a video message from Erend.

The young soldier took the massage back to base. Sona, Varl, Avad and the Matriarchs saw Erend taking Aloy in his arm, explaining what happened, telling all the every little details he could think of. Then he injected to himself the painkillers, asking for forgiveness.

He was crying Aloy when he slowly passed away.


End file.
